TINL Ch 9

“Sunbae!”

Sunwoo shielded Wol with his body, rolling several times across the floor. Wherever he dodged, fireballs struck just a hair’s breadth behind him. The yellow flames, blazing furiously as if enraged, soon twisted into a serpentine shape and lunged at the two of them. Without a moment to think, Sunwoo scooped Wol into his arms, took a running leap, and vaulted onto the crown of Haemosu’s head.

“How dare you step on me! Get down!”

Haemosu roared, his face turning beet red, but his shouts didn’t even register with Sunwoo. The ferocious yellow flames charging toward them hesitated, unable to climb Haemosu’s body, and instead swirled around him. Wol and Sunwoo quickly scanned their surroundings to assess the situation.

The source of the fiery onslaught was Gusang. It seemed that Sunwoo splitting his strength to burn Haemosu had given Gusang a chance to pull himself together. With crazed eyes, Gusang glared at them, stoking the flames into an even more menacing inferno. From his heaving back all the way to the elevator hall, a sea of yellow fire surged.

Fortunately, Jacheongbi had transformed a bookshelf into wooden vines to provide cover, keeping the flames from getting too close to the negotiation table where they stood. Judging by the intensity of the few tendrils of fire that managed to slip through the thick barrier of books and shelves, the title of “solar god” wasn’t just for show.

After observing the situation for a moment, Wol subtly pointed at the floor and called out to Jacheongbi.

“Jacheongbi, isn’t the floor made of marble? Rather than blocking it with flammable materials like bookshelves or books, marble might be more useful. You’re a god of the earth, after all.”

“It looks like marble, but it’s not real. The materials I can manipulate are pretty limited.”

“Then…”

Wol pretended to ponder for a moment before locking eyes with Gusang and tossing out a baited suggestion.

“How about we take this chance to get rid of Haemosu and talk among ourselves? You’ve always had your eye on the solar god representative position. Normally, you wouldn’t stand a chance, but right now, you might just pull it off.”

For a fleeting second, Sunwoo frowned, struck by an odd sensation. It felt as though he had to do it—as if following Wol’s words would make everything turn out fine.

Is she using some kind of word-binding power?

Unlike Sunwoo, who quickly shook off the subtle command that had tugged at his mind, Gusang stared at Wol with those same mad eyes, unblinking. Fixated on her as if her gaze had nailed him in place, Gusang slowly curled his lips into a grin. At the same time, the yellow flames that had only been circling Haemosu began to inch, bit by bit, into the thick wooden vines. The ferocity of the yellow fire burrowing into the vines and eating away at Haemosu was so intense that even Sunwoo, a fire-wielder himself, felt the heat becoming unbearable.

“Gusang! You brainless idiot! Snap out of it! That woman’s using ‘Bewitchment’! Why do you think Mago’s so desperate to get rid of her?”

Haemosu, bound tightly by vines and roots, thrashed with all his might and bellowed desperately. Unfortunately, the one who registered his frantic plea wasn’t Gusang—it was Sunwoo.

Bewitchment…?

If Wol were a god, Sunwoo might have chalked it up to a divine ability, but she was a celestial maiden, not a god. Keeping an eye on Gusang, Sunwoo tightened his grip on the increasingly enigmatic woman in his arms.

Wol’s face remained an unreadable mask of calm, but the faint, rapid heartbeat he felt through his hands was worryingly fast. Her body temperature was rising too. A creak, a crack, split through his heart. Sunwoo brought his lips close to her ear, whispering softer than a breath.

“Sunbae, are you okay?”

Without opening her mouth, Wol gave a barely perceptible nod—so subtle that it could’ve been missed if he hadn’t been watching closely. The faint tilt of her head was far less noticeable than the final throes of the god writhing beneath their feet.

“Grrrrgh!”

Haemosu twisted violently, soon unleashing a bone-chilling scream.

“Bae! Cover Wol’s ears!”

At Jacheongbi’s shout, Sunwoo pulled Wol deeper into his embrace, hunching over her and pouring out his purification energy. Blood burst from his own nose and ears, but he didn’t care in the slightest.

Windows shattered, and the vines Jacheongbi had reinforced to withstand the flames cracked and splintered under the prolonged onslaught. Sunwoo instinctively knew this was the death cry of a god—that Haemosu was being extinguished. As the unearthly wail, beyond human language, faded, the ferocious flames Gusang had conjured subsided as well. With the hellish blaze gone, Jacheongbi quietly lowered the towering wooden wall she’d erected. Beyond it, Gusang lifted his chin and barked an order at Myungwol.

“Hey! Tell your little lapdog to clean up this damn fire. Let’s negotiate properly.”

Having exhausted his last shred of strength and still smoldering under Sunwoo’s lingering flames, Gusang looked barely able to stand. Staggering pitifully yet cackling as if possessed, he wagged a finger at Wol—less a god now and more a malevolent spirit.

“What are you waiting for? When a god gives an order, a celestial maiden should hop to it with a ‘Yes, sir.’”

Wol sighed and nodded. Sunwoo bristled—her faint response to his concern had been nearly imperceptible, yet she nodded clearly to this filth’s crude demand. He hated that, and hated himself even more for obeying her command without a second’s delay, retracting the flames as she wished.

“Mr. Sunwoo, you can put me down now. It seems the solar god representative has something to say.”

Sunwoo’s brows twitched as he reluctantly loosened his hold. She tugged her jacket lightly to straighten it and stood tall, facing Gusang.

Even with the flames fully extinguished, Gusang’s body showed no signs of recovering from its charred state. Wol’s lips curved upward in evident satisfaction as she regarded him. Gusang, leaning loosely against the wooden wall Jacheongbi had made, stared at her hungrily, his eyes raking over her.

“Jacheongbi might stir up fights everywhere for fun, but what’s your problem? Isn’t being pampered by the Wol Palace Lord enough for you?”

Sunwoo grimaced, itching to scrub his ears clean, and pulled out a chair for Wol. The chair, blackened and crumbling, restored itself to its original form the moment Sunwoo touched it.

Wol merely widened her eyes at the instantly regenerated chair, her demeanor suggesting she was used to such nonsense. That nonchalance grated deeply on Sunwoo. As he steadied his breathing to mask his emotions, Jacheongbi strode over, leaned cockily against Wol’s chair, and started picking a fight with Gusang.

“And you—does screwing around with both the sun and moon siblings not satisfy you? Do you think everyone lives for that kind of crap like you do? If you’ve been banished from the heavens, at least have the shame to live quietly. Stop running your mouth everywhere without knowing when to shut up.”

“Jacheongbi, you’re in no position to talk—divorced and meddling where you don’t belong.”

“Look at this mouthy punk. You know I’m in line to be the next Halmoni, right?”

“Oh, my bad, I forgot. Fine, considering our past together and your lofty status, I’ll let today slide without making a fuss. Happy now?”

Jacheongbi held back an irate Sunwoo, handing him a handkerchief while placing a lit cigarette in Myungwol’s mouth. Myungwol, sitting stiff as dry wood, lightly bit the filter and took a deep drag. As she exhaled slowly, white smoke drifted from her lips.

Rather than dignifying nonsense with a response, I’ll just smoke another.

Faced with her blatant disregard, Gusang coughed lightly and pointed at a sign on the wall.

No Smoking Facility

Fine of 100,000 won for smoking

Sunwoo, already irritated by Wol’s gaze following Gusang’s gesture, incinerated the innocent sign without a trace. When Gusang frowned, Sunwoo pulled out his wallet, tossed it at him, and grinned brightly.

“Take the fine from there.”

“…”

Whether the two men, bound by past grudges, silently growled at each other or not, Wol kept puffing on her cigarette, casually flicking ash onto Haemosu’s nearby remains as if they were an ashtray. Gusang burst into cackling laughter, pointing at the drifting ash.

“Using your sky-high superior as an ashtray. You’ve really made it, my bride.”

“I have made it, haven’t I? Compared to a wretch like you, groveling on the ground all this time without ever overcoming a guy like this.”

Even Sunwoo and Jacheongbi inhaled sharply in shock. Gusang, about to lash out with fire in his fury, scowled as only smoke puffed from his outstretched hand, clicking his tongue in frustration. That sound seemed to jog something in Wol’s memory. She gazed at Gusang with the detached eyes one might use to inspect a ruined pavement and asked,

“I’ve always been curious—why did you do it back then?”

“What? Hit you? Or sell you off for gambling debts?”

“No, out of all the humans, why did you pick me to marry?”

At Wol’s question, Sunwoo’s eyes wavered sharply. Gusang, locking eyes with Sunwoo instead of Wol, answered casually as if it were no big deal.

“Saving a pitiful human and accumulating merit lets you ascend. If I was going to pick a tool, I figured I’d choose the prettiest one. So I made you miserable, weak, and worthless… but you were stubborn. You wouldn’t let yourself be saved, so it all went to hell.”

Gusang chuckled to himself at his utterly unfunny tale, then continued as if doing her a favor.

“Myungwol. I’m letting it slide because it’s me and it’s kinda cute, but if you keep acting cocky with just that flimsy immunity card, you’re really gonna be in deep shit. You think Mago hasn’t set up another trap? You know that measly title of yours only came about because I brought you to the heavens, right?”

As if to make a point, Myungwol flicked more ash onto Haemosu’s corpse and tilted her head slightly to face Gusang directly.

“You, Mago… I don’t get why you both think you’ve done me some grand favor. It’s so baffling I don’t even know how to respond.”

“Hey, I get that you’re bitter about how rough life got after I divorced you—”

“I don’t have any bitterness to feel. The closest thing I’ve got to emotions about you is irritation or pity, and that’s it. I was curious what kind of sugary nonsense you’d try to pull by telling me to sit, so I played along. But all you’re spouting is crap not even a dog would bark at, so I’m done listening.”

Shaking her head, Wol tossed her cigarette butt between the charred legs of Haemosu’s remains and beckoned Sunwoo with a flick of her finger.

“Mr. Sunwoo, finish that guy off too, and let’s go rest. I’ve settled my curiosity, so I don’t need that bastard anymore.”

“…What?”

“Killing two gods at once might be a lot, but just him? You can burn him up nicely. Do what you’re good at.”

“…”

Gusang, who had poured every ounce of his divine power into killing Haemosu and barely had the strength to stand, stumbled backward.

‘If I burn him, all the solar gods worldwide will be incinerated too… Is that really okay?’

Torn between his urge to set Gusang ablaze and hesitation over the consequences, Sunwoo finally snapped his fingers toward Gusang with an oh, screw it attitude.

Gusang’s already blackened and ashen body was engulfed in teal flames that shimmered with a fierce glow, crumbling to pieces in an instant. The power was on a level incomparable to the silent flames he’d used for a sneak attack earlier.

Wol gazed quietly at the scattering ash and the teal light spreading outward in bursts. While Wol sat motionless with regret-laden eyes, Jacheongbi took action instead. Stomping over with heavy steps, she crushed the fragmented chunks of char underfoot. Wol lowered her eyes, as if the dry crunching sound were the finest music. Only when Gusang was pulverized beyond recognition did she tap Sunwoo’s arm in approval and rise from her seat.

“Congrats. Looks like you’ve got the solar god vibe.”

“Sunbae, don’t tell me… you said I’d end up leaning toward whatever suited me…”

“The solar god side lets you live with a bit more swagger than just being a fire god.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, already stiff for the umpteenth time, he followed Wol into the elevator.

“Don’t overthink it. If word gets out that a solar god got turned into firewood by a rookie, they’d be too humiliated to live anyway—they’d bite their tongues and die.”

With Jacheongbi’s utterly unconsoling consolation, Sunwoo’s first mission came to an end, and night fell.